Take a photo of a barcode or cover
arzelena's review against another edition
1.0
This book was provided to me by NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
I really disliked this book. The main character was absolutely spineless. She was constantly putting other people first. Now don't get me wrong, with family I do that too, but some neighbours that come over to my house and won't leave? I have every right to tell them to leave. If they take it personally then that is their problem. So the daughter has ADHD. That's definitely rough, I can't imagine, but she was just so defeated and in what I assume was denial about the whole thing. Only when her 11 year old daughter asks for the medicine does she seriously consider it. She things terrible things about her daughter, like how her 11 (11!!!!) year old daughter is a fat ball of dough and how happy she is that no one will probably kidnap and rape her because shes just a fat blob. Obviously parents worry about their children and their health, but that is just horribly judgmental. I don't know if maybe the character herself had some undiagnosed mental illness and the further I read the more I thought so, though it is never addressed. She was obsessed with writing lists and would lash out almost aggressively when someone tried/did read one.
She was obviously going through a very hard time. but I still cannot understand how she could so easily just dismiss everything. She was an absolute doormat and she let everyone walk all over her which is why her daughter had no respect for her. She kept thinking of all these things of what a good parents or responsible parent would do yet she did not do any of it. Was she depressed? Does she have a mental illness? None of the story went into any of that so I am just left wondering what happened and why read this book in the first place.
I really disliked this book. The main character was absolutely spineless. She was constantly putting other people first. Now don't get me wrong, with family I do that too, but some neighbours that come over to my house and won't leave? I have every right to tell them to leave. If they take it personally then that is their problem. So the daughter has ADHD. That's definitely rough, I can't imagine, but she was just so defeated and in what I assume was denial about the whole thing. Only when her 11 year old daughter asks for the medicine does she seriously consider it. She things terrible things about her daughter, like how her 11 (11!!!!) year old daughter is a fat ball of dough and how happy she is that no one will probably kidnap and rape her because shes just a fat blob. Obviously parents worry about their children and their health, but that is just horribly judgmental. I don't know if maybe the character herself had some undiagnosed mental illness and the further I read the more I thought so, though it is never addressed. She was obsessed with writing lists and would lash out almost aggressively when someone tried/did read one.
She was obviously going through a very hard time. but I still cannot understand how she could so easily just dismiss everything. She was an absolute doormat and she let everyone walk all over her which is why her daughter had no respect for her. She kept thinking of all these things of what a good parents or responsible parent would do yet she did not do any of it. Was she depressed? Does she have a mental illness? None of the story went into any of that so I am just left wondering what happened and why read this book in the first place.
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
3.0
Look at Me wasn’t entirely for me. I enjoyed its feminism but was always aware that I was reading a book in translation. The language is pretty laboured and I found myself begging for a beautiful sentence.
bkclub4one's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Every once in a while I come across a book like this one which actually has respect for my poor heart. A book which I can just lie back in bed coffee cup on the other hand and just relax. Unlike the books I read which are so fast paced my heart races in tune with my vivid imagination this book had me relaxed.
I could actually focus on every word I was reading. The whole book is centered around Katharina our main character. She is a wife to Costas, who is only home during the weekends and a mother to Alex and Helli. She also teaches a music class for little kids.
If you are a mother you will identify a lot with Katharina. If you are not, let's just say that you will appreciate your own so much more after reading this. Katharina is a superwoman of some kind. All in a day she manages to: deal with her daughter who might actually have ADHD, help a neighbor look for his missing thumb, meet her son's new girlfriend and for a moment there almost have an affair.
All this happens in between her numerous chores and did I mention that something feels like a lump on her breast. So yeah she is also dealing with the fact that she is possibly dying slowly.
Look at Me is a realistic depiction of the lives of many men and women. People who at some point feel like people have stopped seeing them and they just want you to LOOK AT THEM! for one damn moment.
It depicts that period in life when couples drift apart, your children don't seem to need you anymore and life passes you by and you start to wonder, is this really it?
Through every turn of the page you can feel the frustration, despair and loneliness that Katharina is experiencing. You can't help but empathise.
That ending was not what I was expecting at all. I really wanted an answer but it was all philosophical and deep and you can't fault an ending like that.
****I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Every once in a while I come across a book like this one which actually has respect for my poor heart. A book which I can just lie back in bed coffee cup on the other hand and just relax. Unlike the books I read which are so fast paced my heart races in tune with my vivid imagination this book had me relaxed.
I could actually focus on every word I was reading. The whole book is centered around Katharina our main character. She is a wife to Costas, who is only home during the weekends and a mother to Alex and Helli. She also teaches a music class for little kids.
If you are a mother you will identify a lot with Katharina. If you are not, let's just say that you will appreciate your own so much more after reading this. Katharina is a superwoman of some kind. All in a day she manages to: deal with her daughter who might actually have ADHD, help a neighbor look for his missing thumb, meet her son's new girlfriend and for a moment there almost have an affair.
All this happens in between her numerous chores and did I mention that something feels like a lump on her breast. So yeah she is also dealing with the fact that she is possibly dying slowly.
Look at Me is a realistic depiction of the lives of many men and women. People who at some point feel like people have stopped seeing them and they just want you to LOOK AT THEM! for one damn moment.
It depicts that period in life when couples drift apart, your children don't seem to need you anymore and life passes you by and you start to wonder, is this really it?
Through every turn of the page you can feel the frustration, despair and loneliness that Katharina is experiencing. You can't help but empathise.
That ending was not what I was expecting at all. I really wanted an answer but it was all philosophical and deep and you can't fault an ending like that.
****I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
smittenforfiction's review against another edition
2.0
Look At Me is an Adult Women's Fiction novel by German author Mareike Krügel. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.
Mareike Krügel has written four novels, Look At Me is the first to be translated from German to English by Imogen Taylor. Told from the perspective of a mom named Katha, the story is about truths, mortality, marriage, motherhood, sexism, and gender roles.
Katha is a musicologist who teaches music to Kindergartens. She hasn't been able to finish her thesis or find a satisfying career due to her daughter Helli, a very busy, impulsive, eleven-year-old who may have ADHD. Katha's son Alex is "the perfect son", smart, considerate, and good looking. Katha's husband Costas accepted a job working away from home after being laid off from his dream job.
We also get to meet Sissi (Katha's sister), Ann-Brit (Katha's long time friend), Theo & Heinz (transgender neighbors), and Kilian (Katha's male friend from school).
I found Katha to be incredibly annoying and had a really hard time caring about her. Helli stole the show for me. She reminded me a lot of my own nine-year-old son.
There are a few moments that come across as unbelievable, but that may be due to the translation. Look At Me is a quirky, funny story with a crazy ending that reminds us to be grateful for what we have and the people who love us.
Mareike Krügel has written four novels, Look At Me is the first to be translated from German to English by Imogen Taylor. Told from the perspective of a mom named Katha, the story is about truths, mortality, marriage, motherhood, sexism, and gender roles.
Katha is a musicologist who teaches music to Kindergartens. She hasn't been able to finish her thesis or find a satisfying career due to her daughter Helli, a very busy, impulsive, eleven-year-old who may have ADHD. Katha's son Alex is "the perfect son", smart, considerate, and good looking. Katha's husband Costas accepted a job working away from home after being laid off from his dream job.
We also get to meet Sissi (Katha's sister), Ann-Brit (Katha's long time friend), Theo & Heinz (transgender neighbors), and Kilian (Katha's male friend from school).
I found Katha to be incredibly annoying and had a really hard time caring about her. Helli stole the show for me. She reminded me a lot of my own nine-year-old son.
There are a few moments that come across as unbelievable, but that may be due to the translation. Look At Me is a quirky, funny story with a crazy ending that reminds us to be grateful for what we have and the people who love us.
hegesteindal74's review against another edition
5.0
En middelklassekvinne med lang utdannelse som likevel ender opp som stresset husmor med høyt tempo og stor fare for å få døra i fleisen. Oppvoks i et kulturelt hjem med to fulltidsarbeidende foreldre, og med fyldig kulturell bagasje, om det finnes et slikt begrep. Søsteren er utøvende musiker og har på mange måter nådd sine ambisjoner, i motsetning til hovedpersonen. Moren døde av kreft da søstrene var i førpuberteten, noe de taklet særdeles ulikt og som har satt sitt preg på dem begge, men på svært forskjellig måte.
Romanen minner i sine motiv og også i noe av tematikken om Ellmanns "Ducks. Newburyport", selv om den politiske brodden er mye tydeligere i sistnevnte. "En nesten perfekt dag" har også en mer tradisjonell narrativ stil og en lysere tone enn Ellmanns bok. Likevel er likhetstrekkene påfallende og interessante. Ikke alle sidene ved disse kvinnenes liv er lett gjenkjennelige for en norsk leser, slik som disse mer tradisjonelle kjønnsrollene med menn som de yrkesaktive forsørgerene og kvinner som bare tar utdannelse mens de venter på en mann, men mye er det også.
"En nesten perfekt dag" finnes også på Fabel. Anbefales!
Romanen minner i sine motiv og også i noe av tematikken om Ellmanns "Ducks. Newburyport", selv om den politiske brodden er mye tydeligere i sistnevnte. "En nesten perfekt dag" har også en mer tradisjonell narrativ stil og en lysere tone enn Ellmanns bok. Likevel er likhetstrekkene påfallende og interessante. Ikke alle sidene ved disse kvinnenes liv er lett gjenkjennelige for en norsk leser, slik som disse mer tradisjonelle kjønnsrollene med menn som de yrkesaktive forsørgerene og kvinner som bare tar utdannelse mens de venter på en mann, men mye er det også.
"En nesten perfekt dag" finnes også på Fabel. Anbefales!
textpublishing's review against another edition
'With a heroine so well-realised she feels like a friend, and piercingly true ruminations on the strange courses that life can take, Look At Me is a wildly impressive English-language debut.’
Culturally
‘An enjoyable and thought provoking read.’
MindFood
‘Kat and her family are deeply flawed but likeable characters; you want to cheer them on...A good read, suitable for long, dark evenings.’
Otago Daily Times
‘Definitely one of those “read in one sitting”, “hard to put down” books.’
Nudge Books
‘For all the chaos of Katharina’s life and for all the humour of her narrative voice, this well-written and surprisingly complex novel has an unexpected gravitas.’
Age
‘A quirky ride that masterfully blends a sardonic sense of humour with a deeply embedded fear of mortality.’
Readings
‘Funny, moving and thought-provoking.’
BookMooch
Culturally
‘An enjoyable and thought provoking read.’
MindFood
‘Kat and her family are deeply flawed but likeable characters; you want to cheer them on...A good read, suitable for long, dark evenings.’
Otago Daily Times
‘Definitely one of those “read in one sitting”, “hard to put down” books.’
Nudge Books
‘For all the chaos of Katharina’s life and for all the humour of her narrative voice, this well-written and surprisingly complex novel has an unexpected gravitas.’
Age
‘A quirky ride that masterfully blends a sardonic sense of humour with a deeply embedded fear of mortality.’
Readings
‘Funny, moving and thought-provoking.’
BookMooch
tearsofphoenix's review against another edition
4.0
Look at me is a translated novel of an awarding winning author, It spans over the course of one day yet takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from dread to hysteria at the oddest moments, not only that, but it also manages to paints emotions and suffering in simplest words, making it so human. Reminding us of the universe of shared experiences, of everything we go through, this author can make simplest things so unbearable to think about and makes you smile at the stranges place you wouldn't have before.
I am truly at loss how to review this particular book. You can never accuse this book of being boring, reminding you again that the whole occurs at a single day in the life of our main character Katharina, the book reveals all the other characters and struggles slowly and soon they are so familiar to us, as if we have always been a part of their lives, we come to know them, love or hate them, all in a single day and this was done marvelously well.
My thanks to the publishing house and Net Galley for allowing me a copy in exchange of an honest review.
I am truly at loss how to review this particular book. You can never accuse this book of being boring, reminding you again that the whole occurs at a single day in the life of our main character Katharina, the book reveals all the other characters and struggles slowly and soon they are so familiar to us, as if we have always been a part of their lives, we come to know them, love or hate them, all in a single day and this was done marvelously well.
My thanks to the publishing house and Net Galley for allowing me a copy in exchange of an honest review.
feeona's review against another edition
2.0
„Sieh mich an“ ist die Momentaufnahme eines Lebens. Hauptprotagonistin Katharina steckt in einem typischen Leben fest, 2 langsam erwachsen werdende Kinder, ein Mann, der viel arbeitet und die ganze Woche in Berlin verbringt, während sie zwischen Teilzeitjob, Haushalt und den Kids hin und her springt und ihre Doktorarbeit seit Jahren im Arbeitszimmer vor sich hin ruht. Ich glaube wir alle kennen das, wir denken wir haben Zeit, wir schieben Dinge auf, wir schätzen nicht was wir haben, denn wir haben ja viel vor uns, wir können das alles noch ändern. Doch Katharina stellt plötzlich fest, dass sie keine Zeit mehr hat. Sie hat da etwas in ihrer Brust.
Ich muss sagen, dass mir die Idee des Buches gut gefallen hat. Allerdings habe ich eine Weile gebraucht und mich auf die Umsetzung einzulassen. Während die Geschichte nur an einem einzigen Tag spielt und von Rückblicken in die Vergangenheit lebt, wollte ich immer gerne, dass es voran geht, dass ich als Leser mehr erfahre, dass die Geschichte um die Krankheit sich entwickelt. Aber darum geht es in dem Buch gar nicht. Als ich das verstanden hatte, konnte ich mich drauf einlassen und das Tempo hat mir sogar gut gefallen.
Trotzdem konnte mich das Buch leider nicht überzeugen. Ich finde Katharina nicht wirklich sympathisch. Sie ist sicher eine starke Frau, die es schafft ihr Leben zu meistern, aber vor allem sucht sie immer den leichtesten Weg und scheut sich vor Konflikten und Konsequenzen. Allein die Tatsache, dass sie seit 2 Wochen einen Knoten in der Brust hat und bereits Listen schreibt, was sie vor ihrem Tod noch erleben möchte, anstatt einen Termin beim Arzt zu machen, zeigt das ganz gut. Ihr Verhalten was das angeht, hat mich etwas genervt. Wäre sie anders, würde das Buch vermutlich nicht funktionieren, von daher macht es wahrscheinlich Sinn, dass die Charaktere so sind, wie sie sind, aber mich persönlich hat die Autorin damit leider nicht erreichen können. Schade.
Ich muss sagen, dass mir die Idee des Buches gut gefallen hat. Allerdings habe ich eine Weile gebraucht und mich auf die Umsetzung einzulassen. Während die Geschichte nur an einem einzigen Tag spielt und von Rückblicken in die Vergangenheit lebt, wollte ich immer gerne, dass es voran geht, dass ich als Leser mehr erfahre, dass die Geschichte um die Krankheit sich entwickelt. Aber darum geht es in dem Buch gar nicht. Als ich das verstanden hatte, konnte ich mich drauf einlassen und das Tempo hat mir sogar gut gefallen.
Trotzdem konnte mich das Buch leider nicht überzeugen. Ich finde Katharina nicht wirklich sympathisch. Sie ist sicher eine starke Frau, die es schafft ihr Leben zu meistern, aber vor allem sucht sie immer den leichtesten Weg und scheut sich vor Konflikten und Konsequenzen. Allein die Tatsache, dass sie seit 2 Wochen einen Knoten in der Brust hat und bereits Listen schreibt, was sie vor ihrem Tod noch erleben möchte, anstatt einen Termin beim Arzt zu machen, zeigt das ganz gut. Ihr Verhalten was das angeht, hat mich etwas genervt. Wäre sie anders, würde das Buch vermutlich nicht funktionieren, von daher macht es wahrscheinlich Sinn, dass die Charaktere so sind, wie sie sind, aber mich persönlich hat die Autorin damit leider nicht erreichen können. Schade.
trenchcoatfullofcats's review against another edition
3.0
Vorab muss ich sagen, dass ich das Buch gehört habe und ich denke, das hat mir die Erfahrung sehr versüßt.
Das Buch spielt über einen einzigen Nachmittag, und das Hörbuch war 7 Stunden lang. Es ist voller Rückblenden bespränkelt mit extremen Situationen. Es zu lesen, wäre mir wahrscheinlich zu zäh gewesen. Aber es zu hören hat mir einen unglaublichen Spaß gemacht. Der Humor mit dem grundsätzlich sehr ernste Themen aufgebracht werden hat mich tatsächslich zum lauten Lachen gebracht. Das Ende fand ich wunderbar. Ich würde es empfehlen, für eine lange Autofahrt zum Beispiel. Für den Richtigen Leser ist das pysische Buch sicherlich auch schön.
Das Buch spielt über einen einzigen Nachmittag, und das Hörbuch war 7 Stunden lang. Es ist voller Rückblenden bespränkelt mit extremen Situationen. Es zu lesen, wäre mir wahrscheinlich zu zäh gewesen. Aber es zu hören hat mir einen unglaublichen Spaß gemacht. Der Humor mit dem grundsätzlich sehr ernste Themen aufgebracht werden hat mich tatsächslich zum lauten Lachen gebracht. Das Ende fand ich wunderbar. Ich würde es empfehlen, für eine lange Autofahrt zum Beispiel. Für den Richtigen Leser ist das pysische Buch sicherlich auch schön.
m_fhowe's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this more than I did. I felt like parts of it were engaging and well written and other parts just fell flat. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it is translated so may have lost some of it's charm due to that. This is one of those books where not a lot happens but a lot is happening to or around the main character. This was clearly not a good fit for me but others may find it more enjoyable.